Two new candidates will be considered for the position of Southborough Fire Chief, the screening committee announced today, and both are current members of the Southborough Fire Department. Captain Joseph Mauro and Lieutenant Christian Dano will be interviewed for the position by the Board of Selectmen at a meeting later this month.
Dano and Joseph Mauro join Cumberland, RI Sr. Deputy Fire Chief Fred Mitchell, who was interviewed by selectmen back in December, as finalists for the fire chief position. Joseph Mauro is the brother of Fire Chief John Mauro Jr., who retired in September after 38 years on the force.
Selectmen interviewed Mitchell in December, but the board decided to defer their decision over doubts about whether he was the right person for the job. They then asked the Fire Chief Screening Committee to recommend additional candidates to consider.
Along with Mitchell, the Fire Chief Screening Committee originally advanced Haverill Deputy Chief Brian Moriarty to the final round, but Moriarty dropped out of running before being interviewed by selectmen, leaving Mitchell as the only finalist.
The addition of Joseph Mauro and Dano to the finalist pool will come as welcome news to residents who criticized the screening committee for not advancing any internal candidates in the first go-round. Selectmen have maintained that the goal is to find the best candidate for the job regardless of whether they are promoted from within the Southborough Fire Department or not.
Selectmen will interview Mauro, Dano, and Mitchell on Thursday, February 16 starting at 6:00 pm in the Town House Hearing Room. The interviews will be open to the public.
